Do you LOVE that new car smell? How about a new home? Everything is brand new and smells fresh and clean!

But what if you are not sure how the process works?

What if you are worried about paying too much?

Is financing a new home the same?

All these questions come to mind while wishing your home could look like HGTV’s ‘After’ picture.

As experts in Real Estate and experienced in New Construction, Naomi Brown and the Tom Pendergast Team has the answers to get you just what you want.

Here is some answers:

Is financing a new home the same? -New home financing can be the same, or very different than a re-sale home. This depends on the builder. Making sure your financing fits your home is an critical step that your Realtor can advise on.

What if you are worried about paying too much? – New Homes still have to pass an Appraisal if you are getting a loan. This protects your values and keeps you from paying too much.

But what if you are not sure how the process works? – Many builder let you pick a plan, choose all your inside features and colors to make it your own. Some have ‘Spec’ homes, ready built and waiting for you to move right in. When buying from a floorplan, it usually takes 5-6 months until you move in.

A study by Edelman Berland reveals that 33% of homeowners who are contemplating selling their house in the near future are planning to scale down. Let’s look at a few reasons why this might make sense for many homeowners, as the majority of the country is currently experiencing a seller’s market. In a recent blog, Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, highlighted the advantages of selling your current house and downsizing into a smaller home that better serves your current needs. Ramsey explains three potential financial advantages to downsizing:

A smaller home means less space, but it also means less time, stress and money spent on upkeep.

Let’s assume you save $500 a month on your mortgage payment. In 30 years, you could have an additional $1-1.6 million in the bank to get you through your golden years.

Use the proceeds from selling your current home to pay cash for a smaller one. Just imagine what you could do with no mortgage holding you down! If you can’t pay cash, aim for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage and put at least 10-20% down on your new home. Apply the $500 you saved from downsizing to your new monthly payment. At 3% interest, you could pay off a $200,000 mortgage in less than 10.5 years, saving almost $16,000 in the process.

Realtor.com also addressed downsizing in a recent article. They suggest that you ask yourself some questions before deciding if downsizing is right for you and your family. Here are two of their questions followed by their answers (in italics) and some additional information that could help.

Q: What kind of lifestyle do I want after I downsize?

A: “For some folks, it’s a matter of living a simpler life focused on family. Some might want to cross off travel destinations on their bucket lists. Some might want a low-maintenance community with high-end upgrades and social events. Decide what you want to achieve from your move first, and you’ll be able to better narrow down your housing options.”

Comments: Many homeowners are taking the profit from the sale of their current home and splitting it in order to put down payments on a smaller home in their current location, as well as a vacation/retirement home where they plan to live when they retire. This allows them to lock in the home price and mortgage interest rate at today’s values. This makes sense financially as both home prices and interest rates are projected to rise.

Q: Have I built up enough equity in my current home to make a profit?

A: “For most homeowners, the answer is yes. This is if they’ve held on to their properties long enough to have positive equity that will be sizable enough to put a large down payment on their next home.”

Comments: A study by Fannie Mae revealed that only 37% of Americans believe that they have significant equity (> 20%) in their current home. In actuality, CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 72.6% have greater than 20% equity. That equity could enable you to build the life you’ve always dreamt about.

Bottom Line

If you are debating downsizing your home and want to evaluate the options you currently have, meet with a real estate professional in your area who can help guide you through the process.

When selling your home, the right price and an attractive appearance are arguably the two most basic essentials. Buyers have a pool of choices and since no two homes are alike it is crucial to make a distinction between your home and the competition.

Studies have shown that the first 2 weeks on the market are the most important. During this time, your home will be exposed to the mostactive buyers, through internet searches and buyers’ agents. Therefore, if you are over-priced, your home could easily get overlooked and you could be forced to endure a slow stream of random buyers who enter the market after that point.

According to one report, homes that sold within the first week of being on the market, earned an average of about 2% over list price, while homes that sat on the market for four months sold for more than 11% below their original list price.

There are several things you should consider:

Request CMAs – Determining the value of your home is the best place to start. A CMA (comparative market analysis) will show you the prices of recently SOLD homes in your area, homes on the market now, and homes that did not sell. You should consider the price of the sold homes, not just the current LIST price of area homes. Realtors seldom want to list a home that is over-priced for the simple fact that the chance of selling your home would be much lower.

Think like a Buyer – The features you consider important in your home may not be the same features that buyers will consider valuable. Discuss current home trends with your Realtor. Your home’s price should be comparable to other similar homes; not be reflective of what you think its worth.

Sweeten the Deal – Some buyers have needs that go beyond the bottom line price. The ability to close quickly, seller-financing, or assistance with closing costs can be a strong attraction to buyers. The more flexible you can be in meeting these other financial needs, the more successful you will be in pricing and selling your home quickly.

Do your own Research – It is important to educate yourself and visit open houses in your area. Make an assessment of how these homes compare to yours in terms of location, size, amenities, and condition. If all sale prices were the same, would you buy your home or someone else’s?

React Quickly – Immediately after your home hits the market there should be a flurry of interest and showing activity. If not, this may indicate that your home is over-priced. If this limited interest continues for a few weeks, you should react. It’s still not too late to reduce the price, but do it quickly in order to sustain some interest!

Consider the Market – Things to think about: Are homes selling quickly? Are the interest rates attractive? Is the economy good? How is the local job market?

Keep it Clean – You only get one chance to make a first impression. Clean it up and fix it up. Make all necessary small repairs, such as fixing minor leaks, patching drywall cracks, or holes in the walls. Clean up clutter and remove personal items. Make sure your home is immaculate every time a buyer steps inside.

You have one chance to grab buyers’ attention. Make sure your home’s price stands out from all the others for the right reason!!